Howard Alum Opens Hotel Dedicated To Black Culture

While attending Howard University, Damon Lawrence worked in the hotel industry as a front desk agent, and decided he would own his own hotels one day with one exception–his business would cater exclusively to blackness.

“Black culture leads American culture and American culture leads global culture, so [we] think it’s time a hotel property reflected the best of black culture,” Lawrence said.

Absolutely!

Lawrence decided to venture off into the world of entrepreneurship while living in Oakland, California. In 2014, he told Rolling Out, “Oakland had a hotel need that I saw and I wanted to do more research on.”

The brilliant business man, along with his business partner, Marcus Carey (also a Howard alum), will open doors to The Moor in New Orleans, Louisiana, this week. The immaculate hotel pays homage to the Moors of North Africa through its astounding architecture and dreamy aesthetic. You can use the promo code “Launch” through July 4th for 60% off your stay!

Lawrence and Carey plan to open locations where black “culture is thriving;” such as Washington, D.C., Brooklyn and Detroit. Even sooner, they plan to launch another property in the Treme section of New Orleans; it is known as the first place in the U.S. black people could purchase property.